Teaching moral values and ethics

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Teaching moral values and ethics
New Straits Times
16 May 2015
Local News
16
English
DR VISHALACHE BALAKRISHNAN
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149,000
447,000
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RM 4,883
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Teaching moral values and ethics
lifelong process: Reflect on responsibilities
of educators on Teachers' Day
what is right and wrong in human posed to international experience,
behaviour. To analyse its meaning, I realised that some moral attitudes
need to be adapted according to the
morals relate to the principles of
right and wrong in behaviour. demographic. Thus, I started ac­
There are some issues here because cepting morality as an active pro­
cess of constructing understanding
to be accepted in a certain society
as moral, one needs to conform to a
standard of behaviour. Thus, I al­
ways clarify morals and morality as
EVERY year on May 16, subjective, except for universal val­
schools in Malaysia cel­ ues, such as honesty and respect,
ebrate Teachers' Day to just to name a few. At times, moral­
commemorate the ded­ ity can be conflicting as what is
ication and effort that­ moral in country A could be con­
teachers put in to educate their demned in country B. This is a
students. This year the theme for notion not understood by many.
Such a complex theme for this
Teachers' Day is "Guru: Membina
Ilmu Menyempurnakan Akhlak", year's Teachers Day should make
meaning "Teachers: Building us, the society of a multicultural
nation, reflect on the heavy re­
Knowledge Perfecting Morals".
Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn sponsibility that the teaching pro­
Muhammad al­Ghazali, who was a
Muslim theologian, jurist, philoso­
pher and mystic of Persian descent,
has a complete explanation of what
akhlak is all about. He defines
akhlak as inborn characteristics
within each individual that is por­
trayed in actions spontaneously
without much thinking or reflec­
tion. When such actions are good
and appraised, the action is cat­
egorised as "akhlak terpuji", mean­
ing it is praised and accepted. On
in relation to social interactions.
In the context of the school com­
munity, the values of teachers, par­
ents and students are in constant
dialogue with.each other. In ad­
dition to their own personal values,
teachers need to consider the eth­
ical standards of their profession.
In Malaysia, it is stated in the code
of ethics for the teaching profes­
sion that teachers have ethical re­
sponsibilities towards their stu­
dents, the parents of their stu­
dents, their colleagues and the
community they serve.
fession has to shoulder towards the
To respond to the Teachers' Day
building of an intellectual and theme and ethics of the teaching
moral society. Not only do teachers profession, a teacher must be able
have to build knowledge by ed­ to perceive and interpret events in
ucating students, whether in a for­ ways that lead to ethical action.
mal or informal setting, based on Ethical sensitivity is closely related
their respective cognitive, emo­ to a relatively new suggested in­
tional and social ability, they also telligence type social intelli­
have to develop the morals of their gence. Social intelligence is the
students. I refiise to use the word ability to get along well with others
"perfect" because developing char­ and get them to cooperate with
you. It is essential for teachers to be
acter is a lifelong process.
When I reflect on my own ed­ equipped with social intelligence
so as to make the 2015 Teachers'
the other hand, when the action is ucational journey through primary Day theme a reality.
bad and evil, it is categorised as and secondary school, I realise that
Keep up the good work, teachers.
"akhlak terkeji", meaning it is not most teachers were building And a blessed Teachers' Day.
knowledge and helping mould and
accepted.
In most dictionaries, morals are develop my character into what is The writer is a senior lecturer at the
defined as concerning or relating to accepted in Malaysian culture. Faculty of Education, University of
When I started becoming more ex­ Malaya